Our History
In 1945 Brother Ernest Graf, Elder of the Akron, Ohio church, delivered the first sermon of the Apostolic Christian faith in Tucson in the home of Brother Jay Bertsch.
Brother Roy Farney of Burlington, Oklahoma, held services in the Bertsch home in 1946.
In early 1965, monthly meetings were set up at the YMCA. Brother Roy Farney of the Phoenix church, Brother Clarence Yackley and Brother Richard Schupbach ministered the Apostolic doctrine.
Brother Noah Herman and his wife Lorraine moved to Tucson in the fall of 1965, and Brother Noah became the first resident minister of Tucson with regular weekly meetings with four members.
With the consent of Elder Brothers Roy Farney and Noah Schrock ground was broken for a new church building at 954 South Magnolia. On January 26, 1969, Elder Brother Noah Schrock dedicated the new church to the service of the Lord.
In 1972 a Fellowship Hall was built across from the church to be used for the dining room and Sunday School rooms. The building was dedicated June 3, 1973 to the service of the Lord by Elder Brother Roy Farney of Phoenix.
On February 24, 1974, Brother Noah Herman was ordained as the Deacon of the Tucson church. Brother Albert James Funk was installed as the second minister of the Tucson church on that same date.
In December 1977 Elder Brother Roy Farney retired from the Eldership because of poor health. Elder Brother Richard Schupbach was appointed counseling Elder of the Tucson church.
On June 4, 1978 Brother Loren Knapp was added to the ministry. On December 4, 1988, Brothers Nathan Lehman and Curtis Kaufman were installed as new ministers for the Tucson congregation.
A ground-breaking ceremony was held on April 16, 1989, to commemorate the start of an expansive building project. The new construction consisted of adding Sunday School rooms, a dining room and kitchen, and a new foyer and fellowship area to the existing church building. In addition, extensive remodeling was done to the nursery, restrooms and ministers' room. Remodeling and improvements were also done in the church sanctuary, to the exterior of the church building and to the Fellowship Hall. The parking lot was paved also. With thankful hearts we held a service to dedicate this new church building to the service of the Lord on April 8, 1990.
Brother Richard Schupbach retired from the Eldership and Brother Jon Kokanovich was installed as counseling Elder of the Tucson congregation on September 22, 1991. Brother Loren Knapp was ordained Deacon for the Tucson congregation on September 29, 1991. Brother Loren Knapp retired from the ministry on November 5, 2000.
On March 30, 2003, Brothers Bradley Bauer and Jay Knapp were installed as new ministers for the Tucson church by Elder Brothers Jon Kokanovich (Phoenix) and Wayne Banwart (Champaign, IL).
In August 2010 Brother Ben Wiegand was appointed counseling Elder of the Tucson congregation.
Bro. Kevin Wulf, previously a minister in Morris, MN, moved to Tucson in May 2019 and was added to the Tucson pulpit by a vote of confidence taken in July 2019. When a new Apostolic Christian church was started in Willcox, AZ, in October 2021 Bro. Kevin moved to that pulpit.
On February 13, 2022, Brothers Duane Wulf and David Zimmerman were installed as new ministers for the Tucson church by Elder Brothers Ben Wiegand (Philadelphia, PA) and Tim Funk (Peoria, IL).